With youth unemployment on the rise, Queensland University of Technology researchers are seeking the views of young jobless people to help in the design of a resilience-building SMS service.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
QUT clinical doctorate candidate Jayne Orr said long-term unemployment has been linked to a 50 per cent rise in depression in young people, a condition that reduces their motivation to keep looking for work and their employment prospects even further.
“We want to find out what young unemployed people think about the idea of receiving and requesting text messages aimed at boosting their resilience so that they can bounce back from job knock-backs and remain optimistic and positive despite the challenges of being unemployed,” Ms Orr said.
“Text messages are an ideal way of reaching young people quickly and cheaply while still maintaining their privacy because they can read the messages discreetly whenever it suits them.”
The unemployment rate among 15 to 24-year-olds looking for work in February was 13.8 per cent, a 0.3 per cent rise on the same period last year and a 5.4 per cent increase on five years ago.
Ms Orr said the response to the survey so far had been good, especially from jobseekers in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.
“We would like another 600 young unemployed jobseekers from across Australia to respond to the survey because this will help us to develop a text message service that best meets the needs of a wide range of young unemployed Australians,” she said.
Jobseeker Martina Pacino, 24, agreed that being unemployed led to negative emotions, but she was uncertain if an SMS service would help.
“Looking for work makes me feel stressed due to my financial obligations,” she said. “I would probably say it decreases my self-esteem and makes me question my worthiness.
“The messages would have to be reliable; a reminder that each step I am partaking in is closer to the end goal and that it is not only me who is having difficulty.”
A spokeswoman for UnitingCare Community said its financial counselling program had seen more than 860 young people in the past 12 months.
“Over 20 per cent of all cases for that age group were affected by job loss or loss of hours,” she said.
“We commend the study by QUT as regular contact with people experiencing hardship can help combat social isolation, build connections and assist in motivation.
“Our Lifeline service has embraced technology by launching the online chat service to complement our crisis line, which is highly utilised by young people.”
